The OnePlus 13 gets Gemini Nano support in its first software update

OnePlus launched the global version of its latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 13, to glowing reviews last week. While many, including myself, praised it as one of the best Android phones you can buy right now, we recognized that it isn’t without flaws. One that many reviewers brought up is that nearly all of its new AI features require internet access, a problem that OnePlus could solve with large language models (LLMs) optimized for mobile devices. OnePlus is now rolling out its first software update for the global OnePlus 13 that adds support for Google’s Gemini Nano AI model.

Gemini Nano is the smallest version of Google’s Gemini large language model. It’s small enough to be run reasonably fast on flagship Android phones with ample amounts of memory and AI accelerators, such as the OnePlus 13. Before today’s software update to version CPH2655_15.0.0.402(EX01), though, the OnePlus 13 didn’t support Gemini Nano, as it didn’t have the Android AICore app that’s necessary to download the model. After installing the update, though, my OnePlus 13 now has the Android AICore app. Following a quick update to the app from the Google Play Store, my OnePlus 13 began downloading Google’s Gemini Nano model once I opened the Google Messages app and tapped the Magic Compose button.

Magic Compose is an experimental feature of the Google Messages app that uses generative AI to provide suggested replies based on the context of your conversation. On most Android devices, your messages are processed on the cloud by Google’s AI models. On devices that support Gemini Nano, though, your messages are processed locally and never leave your device. This is true for the OnePlus 13 following today’s software update, as evidenced by the message that appears when you tap the flask icon in the Magic Compose window.

Like the Xiaomi 14T Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, the OnePlus 13 only uses Gemini Nano for Magic Compose in Google Messages. In contrast, Gemini Nano powers a broader variety of features on supported Pixel phones, like summaries in the Pixel Recorder app and smart replies in Gboard. On the Pixel 9 series, it powers additional features such as screenshot processing in the Pixel Screenshots app and call summarization in the Google Phone app. These last two are made possible thanks to the upgraded multimodal capabilities in the Gemini Nano model available on the Pixel 9 series.

Qualcomm said its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset will support Google’s multimodal Gemini Nano model, which means the OnePlus 13 should have the same model as the Pixel 9. Given that the AICore app takes up ~3.8GB on my OnePlus 13 as opposed to ~1.3GB on my Galaxy Z Fold 6, it seems that the OnePlus 13 does indeed have the newer multimodal version. However, there aren’t any new features that utilize it at the moment. That could change in the near future once the AI Edge SDK opens up for more developers, as it allows Android apps to utilize the multimodal Gemini Nano model for their own features. When I tried running Google’s sample Gemini Nano app, though, it didn’t work on my OnePlus 13, which could be because it doesn’t have access to the version of the AICore app that has the experimental APIs.

Here’s the full changelog for today’s OnePlus 13 update, in case you’re interested:

Communication & interconnection

• Adds a Touch to share feature that supports iOS devices. You can share photos and files with a touch.
• Optimizes IPv6 connectivity over Wi-Fi.
• Improves the stability and expands the compatibility of Bluetooth connections.
• Improves network stability and experience.

Camera

• Adds various styles and personalization to Watermark, including Hasselblad, Master’s signature, Film, Classic camera, and more.
• Improves the clarity of previews and photos in Portrait and Photo modes.
• Improves the clarity of videos shot in 4K at 60 fps.
• Improves the color performance of photos taken with the main camera and telephoto lens in Photo mode.
• Fixes an issue where photos might be too bright when taken with the rear camera in Photo mode.
• Improves the tone and color accuracy of photos taken with the rear camera in Photo mode.

Audio

System

• Adds charging status to Live Alerts for a better user experience.
• Improves system stability and performance.
• Integrates the December 2024 Android security patch to enhance system security.

Apps

• Adds Al features to Google Messages.
• You can now add the 1 × 2 Weather widget to the Home screen.
• Improves the look and feel of the step tracker widget.
• Improves the look and feel of the “Storage cleaner” widget.

Ultimately, it’s nice to see more companies embrace on-device AI models like Gemini Nano even if they’re a bit limited at the moment. We’ve already seen some innovative features born from its inclusion, but they’ve all come from Google at the moment. As more and more flagship devices from other Android brands gain access to the model, hopefully more developers find clever ways to make use of it.